If someone says to his wife, "You are unlawful to me." he must make an expiation (for his oath). Ibn ʿAbbas added: There is for you in Messenger of Allah ﷺ, an excellent example to follow.  

وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ {لَقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ إِسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ}  

Messenger of Allah ﷺ used to drink honey in the house of Zainab, the daughter of Jahsh, and would stay there with her. So Hafsa and I agreed secretly that, if he come to either of us, she would say to him. "It seems you have eaten Maghafir (a kind of bad-smelling resin), for I smell in you the smell of Maghafir," (We did so) and he replied. "No, but I was drinking honey in the house of Zainab, the daughter of Jahsh, and I shall never take it again. I have taken an oath as to that, and you should not tell anybody about it."  

كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَشْرَبُ عَسَلاً عِنْدَ زَيْنَبَ ابْنَةِ جَحْشٍ وَيَمْكُثُ عِنْدَهَا فَوَاطَيْتُ أَنَا وَحَفْصَةُ عَنْ أَيَّتُنَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا فَلْتَقُلْ لَهُ أَكَلْتَ مَغَافِيرَ إِنِّي أَجِدُ مِنْكَ رِيحَ مَغَافِيرَ قَالَ لاَ وَلَكِنِّي كُنْتُ أَشْرَبُ عَسَلاً عِنْدَ زَيْنَبَ ابْنَةِ جَحْشٍ فَلَنْ أَعُودَ لَهُ وَقَدْ حَلَفْتُ لاَ تُخْبِرِي بِذَلِكِ أَحَدًا  

For the whole year I had the desire to ask ʿUmar bin Al-Khattab regarding the explanation of a Verse (in Surat Al-Tahrim) but I could not ask him because I respected him very much. When he went to perform the Hajj, I too went along with him. On our return, while we were still on the way home. ʿUmar went aside to answer the call of nature by the Arak trees. I waited till he finished and then I proceeded with him and asked him. "O chief of the Believers! Who were the two wives of the Prophet ﷺ who aided one another against him?" He said, "They were Hafsa and ʿAisha." Then I said to him, "By Allah, I wanted to ask you about this a year ago, but I could not do so owing to my respect for you." ʿUmar said, "Do not refrain from asking me. If you think that I have knowledge (about a certain matter), ask me; and if I know (something about it), I will tell you." Then ʿUmar added, "By Allah, in the Pre-lslamic Period of Ignorance we did not pay attention to women until Allah revealed regarding them what He revealed regarding them and assigned for them what He has assigned. Once while I was thinking over a certain matter, my wife said, "I recommend that you do so-and-so." I said to her, "What have you got to do with the is matter? Why do you poke your nose in a matter which I want to see fulfilled.?" She said, How strange you are, O son of Al-Khattab! You don't want to be argued with whereas your daughter, Hafsa surely, argues with Messenger of Allah ﷺ so much that he remains angry for a full day!" ʿUmar then reported; how he at once put on his outer garment and went to Hafsa and said to her, "O my daughter! Do you argue with Messenger of Allah ﷺ so that he remains angry the whole day?" H. afsa said, "By Allah, we argue with him." ʿUmar said, "Know that I warn you of Allah's punishment and the anger of Messenger of Allah ﷺ . . . O my daughter! Don't be betrayed by the one who is proud of her beauty because of the love of Messenger of Allah ﷺ for her (i.e. ʿAisha)." ʿUmar addled, "Then I went out to Um Salama's house who was one of my relatives, and I talked to her. She said, O son of Al-Khattab! It is rather astonishing that you interfere in everything; you even want to interfere between Allah's Apostle and his wives!' By Allah, by her talk she influenced me so much that I lost some of my anger. I left her (and went home). At that time I had a friend from the Ansar who used to bring news (from the Prophet) in case of my absence, and I used to bring him the news if he was absent. In those days we were afraid of one of the kings of Ghassan tribe. We heard that he intended to move and attack us, so fear filled our hearts because of that. (One day) my Ansari friend unexpectedly knocked at my door, and said, "Open Open!' I said, 'Has the king of Ghassan come?' He said, 'No, but something worse; Messenger of Allah ﷺ has isolated himself from his wives.' I said, 'Let the nose of ʿAisha and Hafsa be stuck to dust (i.e. humiliated)!' Then I put on my clothes and went to Messenger of Allah ﷺ's residence, and behold, he was staying in an upper room of his to which he ascended by a ladder, and a black slave of Messenger of Allah ﷺ was (sitting) on the first step. I said to him, 'Say (to the Prophet ﷺ ) ʿUmar bin Al-Khattab is here.' Then the Prophet ﷺ admitted me and I narrated the story to Messenger of Allah ﷺ. When I reached the story of Um Salama, Messenger of Allah ﷺ smiled while he was lying on a mat made of palm tree leaves with nothing between him and the mat. Underneath his head there was a leather pillow stuffed with palm fibres, and leaves of a saut tree were piled at his feet, and above his head hung a few water skins. On seeing the marks of the mat imprinted on his side, I wept. He said.' 'Why are you weeping?' I replied, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Caesar and Khosrau are leading the life (i.e. Luxurious life) while you, Messenger of Allah ﷺ though you are, is living in destitute". The Prophet ﷺ then replied. 'Won't you be satisfied that they enjoy this world and we the Hereafter?' "  

أَنْ أَسْأَلَهُ هَيْبَةً لَهُ حَتَّى خَرَجَ حَاجًّا فَخَرَجْتُ مَعَهُ فَلَمَّا رَجَعْتُ وَكُنَّا بِبَعْضِ الطَّرِيقِ عَدَلَ إِلَى الأَرَاكِ لِحَاجَةٍ لَهُ قَالَ فَوَقَفْتُ لَهُ حَتَّى فَرَغَ سِرْتُ مَعَهُ فَقُلْتُ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مَنِ اللَّتَانِ تَظَاهَرَتَا عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ مِنْ أَزْوَاجِهِ فَقَالَ تِلْكَ حَفْصَةُ وَعَائِشَةُ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ وَاللَّهِ إِنْ كُنْتُ لأُرِيدُ أَنْ أَسْأَلَكَ عَنْ هَذَا مُنْذُ سَنَةٍ فَمَا أَسْتَطِيعُ هَيْبَةً لَكَ قَالَ فَلاَ تَفْعَلْ مَا ظَنَنْتَ أَنَّ عِنْدِي مِنْ عِلْمٍ فَاسْأَلْنِي فَإِنْ كَانَ لِي عِلْمٌ خَبَّرْتُكَ بِهِ قَالَ ثُمَّ قَالَ عُمَرُ وَاللَّهِ إِنْ كُنَّا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ مَا نَعُدُّ لِلنِّسَاءِ أَمْرًا حَتَّى أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ فِيهِنَّ مَا أَنْزَلَ وَقَسَمَ لَهُنَّ مَا قَسَمَ قَالَ فَبَيْنَا أَنَا فِي أَمْرٍ أَتَأَمَّرُهُ إِذْ قَالَتِ امْرَأَتِي لَوْ صَنَعْتَ كَذَا وَكَذَا قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لَهَا مَالَكِ وَلِمَا هَا هُنَا فِيمَا تَكَلُّفُكِ فِي أَمْرٍ أُرِيدُهُ فَقَالَتْ لِي عَجَبًا لَكَ يَا ابْنَ الْخَطَّابِ مَا تُرِيدُ أَنْ تُرَاجَعَ أَنْتَ وَإِنَّ ابْنَتَكَ لَتُرَاجِعُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَتَّى يَظَلَّ يَوْمَهُ غَضْبَانَ فَقَامَ عُمَرُ فَأَخَذَ رِدَاءَهُ مَكَانَهُ حَتَّى دَخَلَ عَلَى حَفْصَةَ فَقَالَ لَهَا يَا بُنَيَّةُ إِنَّكِ لَتُرَاجِعِينَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَتَّى يَظَلَّ يَوْمَهُ غَضْبَانَ فَقَالَتْ حَفْصَةُ وَاللَّهِ إِنَّا لَنُرَاجِعُهُ فَقُلْتُ تَعْلَمِينَ أَنِّي أُحَذِّرُكِ عُقُوبَةَ اللَّهِ وَغَضَبَ رَسُولِهِ ﷺ يَا بُنَيَّةُ لاَ يَغُرَّنَّكِ هَذِهِ الَّتِي أَعْجَبَهَا حُسْنُهَا حُبُّ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِيَّاهَا يُرِيدُ عَائِشَةَ قَالَ ثُمَّ خَرَجْتُ حَتَّى دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ لِقَرَابَتِي مِنْهَا فَكَلَّمْتُهَا فَقَالَتْ أُمُّ سَلَمَةَ عَجَبًا لَكَ يَا ابْنَ الْخَطَّابِ دَخَلْتَ فِي كُلِّ شَىْءٍ حَتَّى تَبْتَغِي أَنْ تَدْخُلَ بَيْنَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَزْوَاجِهِ فَأَخَذَتْنِي وَاللَّهِ أَخْذًا كَسَرَتْنِي عَنْ بَعْضِ مَا كُنْتُ أَجِدُ فَخَرَجْتُ مِنْ عِنْدِهَا وَكَانَ لِي صَاحِبٌ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ إِذَا غِبْتُ أَتَانِي بِالْخَبَرِ وَإِذَا غَابَ كُنْتُ أَنَا آتِيهِ بِالْخَبَرِ وَنَحْنُ نَتَخَوَّفُ مَلِكًا مِنْ مُلُوكِ غَسَّانَ ذُكِرَ لَنَا أَنَّهُ يُرِيدُ أَنْ يَسِيرَ إِلَيْنَا فَقَدِ امْتَلأَتْ صُدُورُنَا مِنْهُ فَإِذَا صَاحِبِي الأَنْصَارِيُّ يَدُقُّ الْبَابَ فَقَالَ افْتَحِ افْتَحْ فَقُلْتُ جَاءَ الْغَسَّانِيُّ فَقَالَ بَلْ أَشَدُّ مِنْ ذَلِكَ اعْتَزَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَزْوَاجَهُ فَقُلْتُ رَغَمَ أَنْفُ حَفْصَةَ وَعَائِشَةَ فَأَخَذْتُ ثَوْبِيَ فَأَخْرُجُ حَتَّى جِئْتُ فَإِذَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فِي مَشْرُبَةٍ لَهُ يَرْقَى عَلَيْهَا بِعَجَلَةٍ وَغُلاَمٌ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَسْوَدُ عَلَى رَأْسِ الدَّرَجَةِ فَقُلْتُ لَهُ قُلْ هَذَا عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ فَأَذِنَ لِي قَالَ عُمَرُ فَقَصَصْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ فَلَمَّا بَلَغْتُ حَدِيثَ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ تَبَسَّمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَإِنَّهُ لَعَلَى حَصِيرٍ مَا بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَهُ شَىْءٌ وَتَحْتَ رَأْسِهِ وِسَادَةٌ مِنْ أَدَمٍ حَشْوُهَا لِيفٌ وَإِنَّ عِنْدَ رِجْلَيْهِ قَرَظًا مَصْبُوبًا وَعِنْدَ رَأْسِهِ أَهَبٌ مُعَلَّقَةٌ فَرَأَيْتُ أَثَرَ الْحَصِيرِ فِي جَنْبِهِ فَبَكَيْتُ فَقَالَ مَا يُبْكِيكَ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّ كِسْرَى وَقَيْصَرَ فِيمَا هُمَا فِيهِ وَأَنْتَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ أَمَا تَرْضَى أَنْ تَكُونَ لَهُمُ الدُّنْيَا وَلَنَا الآخِرَةُ  

I intended to ask ʿUmar so I said, "Who were those two ladies who tried to back each other against the Prophet?" I hardly finished my speech when he said, They were ʿAisha and Hafsa."  

أَنْ أَسْأَلَ عُمَرَ فَقُلْتُ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مَنِ الْمَرْأَتَانِ اللَّتَانِ تَظَاهَرَتَا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَمَا أَتْمَمْتُ كَلاَمِي حَتَّى قَالَ عَائِشَةُ وَحَفْصَةُ  

I intended to ask ʿUmar about those two ladies who back each other against 'Messenger of Allah ﷺ . For one year I was seeking the opportunity to ask this question, but in vain, until once when I accompanied him for Hajj. While we were in Zahran, ʿUmar went to answer the call of nature and told me to follow him with some water for ablution. So I followed him with a container of water and started pouring water for him. I found it a good opportunity to ask him, so I said, "O chief of the Believers! Who were those two ladies who had backed each other (against the Prophet)?" Before I could complete my question, he replied, "They were ʿAisha and Hafsa."  

عَنِ الْمَرْأَتَيْنِ اللَّتَيْنِ تَظَاهَرَتَا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَمَكُثْتُ سَنَةً فَلَمْ أَجِدْ لَهُ مَوْضِعًا حَتَّى خَرَجْتُ مَعَهُ حَاجًّا فَلَمَّا كُنَّا بِظَهْرَانَ ذَهَبَ عُمَرُ لِحَاجَتِهِ فَقَالَ أَدْرِكْنِي بِالْوَضُوءِ فَأَدْرَكْتُهُ بِالإِدَاوَةِ فَجَعَلْتُ أَسْكُبُ عَلَيْهِ وَرَأَيْتُ مَوْضِعًا فَقُلْتُ يَا أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مَنِ الْمَرْأَتَانِ اللَّتَانِ تَظَاهَرَتَا قَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ فَمَا أَتْمَمْتُ كَلاَمِي حَتَّى قَالَ عَائِشَةُ وَحَفْصَةُ  

The wives of the Prophet ﷺ out of their jealousy, backed each other against the Prophet, so I said to them, "It may be, if he divorced you all, that Allah will give him, instead of you wives better than you." So this Verse was revealed. (66.5)  

عُمَرُ ؓ اجْتَمَعَ نِسَاءُ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ فِي الْغَيْرَةِ عَلَيْهِ فَقُلْتُ لَهُنَّ عَسَى رَبُّهُ إِنْ طَلَّقَكُنَّ أَنْ يُبَدِّلَهُ أَزْوَاجًا خَيْرًا مِنْكُنَّ فَنَزَلَتْ هَذِهِ الآيَةُ